You'll Never Walk Alone English Version
by Louie08dvm
Summary: How can football changed the life of Ai Haibara? ConanAi Original Story by: Shoojo, Translated in english by me


**Disclaimer : **I do not own Detective Conan. It belongs to Gosho Aoyama. This story belongs to its author, Shoojo. I'm just a translator.

**Title: **You'll never walk alone

**Original Author:** Shoojo

**Language:** Indonesian

**Translated by:** Me

**Language:** English

"Ahhh… Hide dodged successfully through the three defenders and he is now close to the Big Osaka's goal. But Nakata is waiting for him, he ran to Hide. Hide quickly passes it to Naoki. Naoki is now carrying the ball… he passes it back to Hide! This is the ultimate tag team of Tokyo Spirits! Can they make an equalizer? And now they….."

"Ahh… Haibara give me back my earphone!" Conan yelled, a little annoyed. Currently professor Agasa together with the Shounen Tantei is watching the Emperor Cup finals between Big Osaka and Tokyo Spirits Yesterday, they won six VIP tickets to the match after Conan successfully answered 100 questions about both teams perfectly, which is not surprising of course. Conan and Ai were listening to a radio commentator, while Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi listen (and watch) from a portable TV. Agasa Hakase was asleep in the middle of the game because he doesn't get enough sleep after completing his new invention.

"Gomen", Ai said. She leans closer to Conan, making sure that the earphone cable is no longer stretched. Apparently she was uncomfortable to see the attack from Tokyo Spirits.

"he is now in the penalty box, definitely within shooting range, he's going to shoot… Oh!"

Conan started to sweat, Ai clenching her hands, the tension is building up.

"... Ramos managed to steal the ball, leaving Hide lying on the ground. Apparently there is no penalty called for Tokyo Spirits"

"That's a violation!" Conan cried, dozens of Big Osaka fans glared at him. "Spirits should be given a penalty shot! Ramos should be rewarded a yellow card! That's a big mistake!"

"Relax, Tantei -kun," Ai said, looking relieved that Big Osaka have manged to stop the attack. "It often happens, right? Violations not being called. You are like a little kid when watching soccer."

Conan frowned, he glanced at the face of Ai in disgust. He wants to say that he didn't need an advice from _people who did not even know about the accumulation of yellow cards_, but he just kept silent, sit back, put back the earphones on his ear, and continue watching.

"Ramos passes the ball forward to Higo, he seems to be offside oh.. apparently he was not, no calls from the referee" Ai looks at Conan 's who was frowning, "there is no defender guarding the Higo. He's running closer to the Spirits' goal, a golden opportunity for Big Osaka to increase their lead. Higo is now dealing one-on-one with Spirits' goalkeeper Toyama. Toyama gets ready to stop the shot, Higo fires… and ..."

"GOALLLLL!" Ai and Big Osaka's supporters' cheers erupted in the stadium. Genta and Ayumi could only shake their head to see the behavior of Ai, Mitsuhiko obviously happy to see Ai's cheerful face. Meanwhile, Conan started to lose his morale. _Good_, he thought. _No penalty, and no offside call… now the Spirits is down 0-2_.

The game then resumed. 5 minutes later ...

"Hey, what 's your favorite club abroad?"

"Huh?"

"Your favorite club abroad, Kudo-kun."

Conan frowned, a little puzzled. Ai does not usually ask questions about football.

"Since when did you have interests about the football?"

"Well, we have been friends for a long time.. and that makes me to start loving football just like you. Never mind, just answer my question."

"Oh…" Conan replied quietly. "There's a lot. But I really like Barcelona, if you ask me. How about you?"

"Madrid, if you ask me." Ai replied sarcastically. Conan can only frown again. Then Conan said, "But the English League is currently the best league so far, so why not we just take it from there. What's your favorite English club?"

"You first, Kudo-kun"

"No. I already answered my favorite club first. So now it's your turn."

"Is this your way to treat a woman? A man should listen to woman's request. I would not be surprised if your relationship with Ran never goes well."

"Oh, all right!" Conan roared. He thought deeply, and the first club that comes in his mind is, "Liverpool" his father's favorite club. "Are you satisfied? If you know what… wait , don't tell me..."

"Manchester United. Are you satisfied?" Ai replied, a sly smile appeared on her face. Conan forehead frowns even more. _Why she's always picking the rival club of my team?_ "Oh, Good. It suits you. _Red devils._ Or in more details, _blonde hair red devils._" Conan replied, turning his attention back to the game which he is lazily watching, just to avoid Ai's mocking face. _Haibara that idiot, bothering me again._

"May I know why Liverpool?" Ai asked.

"I don't know. But they are the biggest club ever existed. They have the most number of English championships. And I like their slogan. _You'll never walk alone._" Conan replied, using all the reasons that his father mentioned to him when he also asked the same thing.

"Well, well. Whatever you say."

"Why? You don't like them?"

Before Ai could answer, the long whistle was blown by the referee, indicating that the game was over. The stadium was filled with joyful cheers from Big Osaka supporters. Ai ignores the question, and replaces it with the statement, "You lose a bet, Kudo-kun. I'm glad I'll be getting a new Fusae brand bag."

Conan scowled again. After seeing the procession and awarding of trophies, they wake Agasa Hakase and returns to their home. Along the way they are busy arguing the outcome of the game, especially Conan and Mitsuhiko. The 'uncalled' violation of Ramos to Hide and the offside that wasn't called that gives Higo the goal. Conan knew that Mitsuhiko is just going to argue as a representative of Ai, as far as Conan knew, Mitsuhiko is not really a fan of Big Osaka. Ayumi chimed in to defend his 'darling' (which makes Mitsuhiko jealous, wishing that Ai would to defend him too). Genta on the other hand was preoccupied thinking about the dinner, an eel rice that his parents promised him to prepare tonight. Ai, as usual, just stared silently out the window. She was thinking about the words that were stuck in her mind, the slogan Conan said to her during the match.

_You'll never walk alone._

She knew nothing about football, not before he met Conan, before she became a fan of Big Osaka. So she never heard that phrase before. No one in the organization talks about football, not even any other sports. The organization is closed to the outside world, 'just focus with what is in the Organization'. _There are times when we will reveal ourselves to the world, when we are ready to take everything into our hands_ is a phrase that Gin always says, as if to say that they would remain secret until the time that they will be revealed. And therefore, dealing with the outside world is prohibited to every member. Loneliness is a common thing for her. There are no special relationships between each member. There were only loyalty, duty, and responsibility. _Human emotions are only for those who are weak; it will not help you survive. Many people fail because they follow their heart rather than facts. Use your head, not your heart. If you want to be strong, get rid of that feeling. _That's the first words of Gin to her as Sherry as part of the process of "killing the feeling" of the Organization, to be more focused on their missions.

And it all made her accustomed of being alone, to not feel the need of others.

During her stay in the Organization, she always walked alone. Yes, _She always walked alone. _At the time when was in America, she always went to school alone, go to her class alone, and when back to her home alone. Although there are members of the organization who continuously followed her, and some are even disguised as a teacher, still she did not feel that need for them to accompany her. The same as when she returned to Japan. She always thinks about her research alone. She did not expect anyone would help her in the research because it can only be considered as a disturbance to her. She chose the path of being alone.

And her attitude never changed, even though she had escaped out of the darkness of the Organization. Despite the fact that somebody had already filled her loneliness- Professor Agasa, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta, Conan and the others, she still chose to go alone. Every time she confronts the Organization, she always chose to fight alone. Although someone is always there for her to fight against the Organization, although Conan is always there to help her, she remains unchanged. _It is my sole responsibility, to face the consequences of betraying the Organization._ That's her destiny, she doesn't have a good life. Therefore, she doesn't want anyone to suffer with her….

She doesn't mind living alone... but when she heard the sentence she just had heard now, she felt something strange, something less than herself. Somehow she felt she needed someone to fill the empty space in her heart, someone who will be faithful to her, a man who will guide and protect her in every way. It's funny, considering that she always had an opportunity, but she always let it slip away, and now she wants it again. Given that all of her loved ones had been left in the dark, and she never tried to find someone to replace them. Pathetic isn't it? But that's fate. That's the fate a Shiho Miyano, which does not change even though she has become Ai Haibara. No one is really special in her heart; friends? Yes she has friends, enemies? Yes she has enemies. And if there is a special person, who would protect her, there was only one person; from Akemi Miyano there is Conan Edogawa... and whether he will end up just like her sister, to die in the hands of the organization, she didn't know, but she hopes that it will never happen to him.

"What if tomorrow we go to Tropical Land? Today 's Saturday." Agasa said, "You can stay at my house if you want, of course I'll call your parents to inform and asked them to bring you some clothes."

"Really Hakase? Wow, that's cool!" Ayumi shouted with joy

Ai was quickly snapped out of her thought. '_Well,_ _at least tomorrow I can have some fun'_ she tought.

**~~~~~~The next day at Tropical Land~~~~~~**

"C'mon..."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I do not want to."

"But..."

"Don't force me, Kudo-kun!"

"Okay.." Conan said, before leaving the blond girl with the red jacket and headed to the Detective Boys. "But if you change your mind, Haibara, we'll be going on the eastern part of the park. You'd better come with Hakase at the restaurant."

When Conan left, Ai went into the restaurant with Hakase Agase to wait for the others. Agasa Hakase was surprised to see Ai entering the restaurant "Why Ai-kun? Why don't you go play with the others?" Agasa asked anxiously.

"I'm not interested. I'm not a kid anymore."

"But it does not mean that the Tropical Land is only for small children. You have to enjoy yourself, too. Sometimes you need to have some fun, right?"

"Still I'm not interested" Ai replied lazily, spinning the brand new handbag she obtained from Conan for winning the bet. The bag was purchased on their way home yesterday, because on that same day, Fusae launched their limited edition bags from Europe, and that makes Conan to stand 4 hours waiting in line just to purchase the bag and he was so fortunate that he get the last stock of the bag. It was an expensive bag, but with his father's credit card, it doesn't matter right?

After a long silence, Ai stood up from her chair. "I'm going for a while" she says. Actually there is no place to go, but for Ai, it is better to roam around rather than just wait and sit inside the restaurant. An hour and a half later inside the Tropical Land, she saw an unfinished building. _Maybe they're building a new parking lot._ Not knowing the reason for doing such a stupid thing, she enters the building.

It is very dark. There is no source of light and there isn't much sunlight either. Moreover, it is very quiet. Apparently, no one was inside the building. _Maybe the workers were on vacation today. Hmm ... maybe I can walk around for a while?_ stupid thoughts, but nonetheless she roamed around the building. She turned the flashlight in her watch, then she starts walking. There were cockroaches and rats on the floor, but she was not afraid at all. Ai walked further inside, unaware that she was already too far from the entrance. After roaming around, Ai decides to return. She turned around then suddenly felt an unpleasant feeling spread throughout her body. Feeling that alarms her. Feeling that always remind her of _'them'_. She immediately put on her veil . _'This feeling... I__mpossible_.' She was frozen._ 'No way… They are here. I could get caught. They will come to kill me. What am I going to do? How...'_

**~~~~~~~Elsewhere [ Conan 's POV ]~~~~~~**

Haah... I sighed. "Maybe I should just go to Haibara, who was waiting in a restaurant with the professor. This is disgusting. I mean, I was already 17 years old but why should I ride for these kids – If it wasn't for this 7 year old body, I would have never been treated like a child"

For the first time, I did not feel at home in Tropical Land.

I was just about to go to another stupid ride when I saw the professor around, shouting something. He looks worried. "What's up? Hakase" I shouted. Hearing the screams, the professor immediately ran towards me. "Shinichi" he said quietly, "Thank God you're here. Ai-kun… she… she disappeared…"

"What? No way. Don't joke around Hakase" I replied, slightly shocked.

"I'm serious. She says she wants to walk around and it was nearly four hours but she hasn't returned yet. And she's not here with you and... I'm afraid she was in danger"

I thought for a moment. Haibara doesn't get lost and surely there is no reason to make the professor worry for not returning after a few hours. It only means one thing, there's are problems. "Okay" I said, "I'll look for her. Did she brought her detective badge?" Agasa nodded. "Just go with the kids professor, but don't tell them about it. Understand?"

"Well, if that's what you want. Be careful, Shinichi" Agasa replied, there's still concern in his voice.

I immediately ran, activate the transmitter in my glasses. I see the signal from the Detective badge. '_Good. He's not far from here'_

**~~~~~~Inside the building, 3 minutes ago [Author's POV ]~~~~~~**

"Er… Aniki"

"What happened, Vodka?"

"Why do we have to held a meeting in stupid building like this?" asked by a one chubby man with a glass and a black hat. It was amazing that he did not remove his glasses in a dark building. He also wore a black jacket and trousers. In front of him is a man with a long blond hair, slightly taller than the chubby man, also wearing black cloths and a hat. His right hand was in his jackets' pocket, his fingers did not seem to feel comfortable when it did not touch his Gun.

"That's _his_ order. If you want to complain, do it to _Anokata_. And you will know the answer" Gin said, his voice still cold, his eyes looks ready to kill "Moreover, there seemed to be a fun game that will be happening here"

"Eh? What do you mean Aniki?" Vodka asked, surprised.

"You have to sharpened your instinct, especially to find a _traitor_" Gin said quietly, making Vodka surprised and confused. His eyes were increasingly sharp and terrible. _Sherry_, He told himself, _wherever you run, you will not be able to avoid death._

**~~~~~~At the same time, on the other room~~~~~~**

_They are near here. Did they know that I was here? Or they come here because they saw me and they intend to kill me? _Ai's now kneeling on the floor, arms folded across her chest, her body is trembling with fear. _Do I have to call for help? No, they will also be killed. Hakase, Shinichi and friends..._. She slowly opened her purse, reached into her detective badge, and was about to call Conan when the badge slipped away from her sweaty fingers dropping it on the floor. She wants to turn on her flashlight, but that would only reveal her position, so she felt around on the floor in the dark.

Suddenly she heard a sound approaching towards her. _Is it them? Or is it just a sound of an animal?_ She's in a panic. She can't even distinguish a sound of human footstep to a sound of an animal. Fearing the worst, she decided to forget about the badge and go quietly into the other room.

**~~~~~~Somewhere in Tropical Land~~~~~~**

"Haibara! Haibara!" Conan yelled through the badge, but no answers. He's getting closer to the position of the badge. He did not know if Ai loses her badge, or was covered by a thick cloth, that she cannot hear him. Conan put his badge back to his pocket, giving up, and decided to find her on his own. He turned his eyes and in front of him he saw an unfinished building._ Maybe Ai's inside this building?_ He doesn't waste any time, Conan immediately went inside.

**~~~~~~~Inside the building [Ai's POv]~~~~~~**

My shirt was wet with sweat that had continued to pour in throughout my body. I have no idea how long I was in this building. 1 hour? 2 hours? Or even more? What's clear to me now, is time is running slow… each second is like a minute long. I want to to tell the time to tick faster.. but I simply can't do it. _Do not play with time_. Suddenly I remembered my research. _Huh_, I said to myself, _drugs that can raise the dead. Disrupt the time of one's life cycle. _I should not make such drugs. Humans can't control time and space. If you try to do this, disasters will come to you. And I've experienced it. My body is back into a child. It helps me to hide from them, but when they discovers it, then what's the point of being in this little body?

I'm scared. I tried to recall my happy memories just to give myself a comfort but that does not help that much. Now all I want is a real comfort, not just a memory. Someone who can make me feel comfortable… some who will protect me… but who?

_Neechan ... help me..._

Suddenly I heard someone approaching. From the sound of it I can tell that it is an adult and there are two people. _Gin and Vodka._ I do not know if it was them or not, but now I stood trembling, my back against the wall. There is a door on my side. I wanted to escape through the door, but my body did not want to move, as if to say to end all this. Yes. Rather than to continue running away, it is better to surrender, to accept my death. I see a light from the hallway. _Neechan, I'll soon be following you. Does death hurt? Or is it fun? How does it feel?_

Suddenly a hand pulled my hands from the door. I nearly screamed but a hand clasped my mouth. After that I closed my eyes, not wanting to know what will happen next...

**~~~~~~~Hallway [Gin's POV]~~~~~~**

"Vodka, can you just direct the flashlight?" I snapped harshly.

"Gomen, Aniki." Vodka replied with trembling lips, immediately directing the flashlight to the front again. "It's just I feel there are people besides us here."

"Didn't I tell you? _Use your brain, not your heart._ Emotions are not needed in the mission." Vodka was silent. I really wanted to _teach him a lesson_, but there are more important matters as of now. And I, like others say, always focus on the mission. I really hate to finish the mission for too long because there are other things that bother you. _If you drive a car by continuing to look to the right and left, even in a highway, you'd still get hurt. Just focus forward._

**~~~~~~Inside a room [Ai 's POV]~~~~~~~**

Finally, the hand clasped off my mouth. I took a quick breath before I opened my eyes. A boy with black hair and round glasse was standing in front of me. His face looked worried. Then he said, "You okay, Haibara?"

I saw him with mingled feelings of fear and delight. And then, I don't know if it's just a reflection or not, but I saw the face Neechan from the face of my savior. And what he said sounded like another sentence to my ears, the phrase that I heard many years ago.

"_You do not have anything, Shiho?"_

**~~~~~~Flashback: Organization's HQ, three years ago.~~~~~~~~**

"_Do not joke, Sherry! What do you mean by letting the 'rat' alive?"_

_Shiho was in research laborator, she is surrounded by other researchers who are angry . Meanwhile, beside them on the bed, a man struggling, his arms full of needle marks, until the other one yelled "Shut up!" and then shot dead on his head. "Well, we still could use another mouse. Now Sherry, tell us what's your excuse?"_

"_I… I…" Shiho said nervously, "I continue to give him the drug, but he kept on screaming from the torture, and I –I feel sorry, so I stopped giving the drug and the drug that I gave him…." but her sentence was cut by a slap from one of her colleague.._

"A_pparently after living in the United States for 10 years make you soft, eh?" he said sarcastically. "You do not have to feel sorry if it upsets your job! Isn't it obvious to us to not let 'the rats' live if it was not useful in the research"_

"_Well.. excuse me ..." fear permeates in every word that comes from the mouth of Shiho, and that makes them disgusted._

"_Punishment will be determined in an hour. Now take in anymore 'rat' and continue your research. Silver, watch him!"_

_Shiho began to resume her works, but she still felt nervous, she almost dropped the bottle of arsenic from her hand. An hour later she was taken to the gas chamber, but due to the inadvertence of Silver and the others, she managed to escape. Unfortunately she was cornered in an alley. Now she's scared because there is no other way to escape. "_Stupid, why did I run?"_ she thought. There is no safe place here, all around them, there is nowhere to hide , no one to help you_._ He then heard a quick patter of footsteps. Before she had time to think of anything, someone had saved her and pulled her into another room. She struggled briefly, but when the hands are clasped off of her mouth, she turned around, and saw the face of the one who saved her; Akemi._

"_You do not have anything, Shiho?" Akemi asked, looking worried ._

"_Nee ... chan ... . HUWAAAA!" Shiho burst into tears and hugged her sister. Shihothen heard her sister whispered, "Do not worry, I will always help you."_

**~~~~~~~END OF Flashback~~~~~~**

"Kudo-kun..." I whispered softly, tears began to drip from my eyes. "Co... nan ..."

"Yes, do not worry, I am always here to help you. Remember?" Conan replied with a reassuring voice.

My tears began to drip from my cheek. "A- I... WAAAA!" I immediately hugged him, I felt it was the best course of action. I do not care if Gin and Vodka can hear my voice, I try to slow down my tears as quietly as I could .

**~~~~~~[Author 's POV]~~~~~~~**

Conan didn't react when Ai hugged him and cried; he does not care about the tears streaming down his shoulders. He wanted to say that they can be spotted, but he thought that it is better to let Ai do what she wanted to do and was thankful that the Gin and Vodka do not hear them, and Ai was also grateful that her cries mingled with the screams of the visitors who are at the rollercoaster ride that was next to the building.

"Stupid... baka..." Ai cried "What took you so long? I almost got caught. You do not know how scared I am… because _they_ are in this building..."

"I know. I know where I can find you. I found the badge, so I thought you were on this floor. And the sweat and shoe trails led me to this direction. Also thanks to this bag," he shows his gift to her "because the bag points to the direction where you are hiding, that's why I was able to rescue you, well maybe you think this is crazy."

"And how" Ai said, took off her arms, wiped the tears from her cheeks, "you know_ 'they'_ are here?"

"Because of this" Conan said, holding a piece of cigarette. Ai recognizes them as regular cigarettes smoked by Vodka. "I found this at the entrance of this building. And this also" he pointed out a sheet of white hair "and not far from here, I found this cigarette that made me believe that Gin and Vodka were in this building"

Then Conan wiped the remaining tears of Ai, making her cheeks turn red, and grateful that they were in the dark so that Conan did not notice it. Then Conan said, "Let's get out of this place."

Conan had walked several steps before realizing that Ai was still standing silent in that place. "Why, Haibara?"

"I - I was afraid, somehow, I…."

"Baka" Conan said with a smile, and then he pulled the hands of Ai, making them become closer, "I'm here… Hai.. I mean Ai" Ai's face reddens more when Conan calls her by her first name, "Sp is there anything to fear for? Relax, you're not going alone."

Hearing the last sentence of Conan, Ai finally returned to herself, with a quip she said, "_You'll never walk alone,_ huh?"

"Glad you're quick to respond," Conan replied, smiling again.

**~~~~~~~At the Top Floor of the Building~~~~~~~**

"We are done here." A bald man with an expensive suit said. "If you do not agree with the offer, let's just pretend that this conversation never existed." Then he prepares to leave.

"Didn't it that the early agreement is only 500 million yen? Now why did you raise it t…"

"Wait, Vodka" Gin said quietly . Then he walked to the bald man. "Fine. We can only give 500 million yen. The rest of the payment will follow as soon as possible."

Vodka was amazed. _Is there a problem with Aniki?_ He's usually not relented in the transaction.

"Huh." The bald man said "All right. I'll give you one month time to pay for the remaining 200 million. Here…" he gave a box of diskettes, his other hand took the suitcase containing the money, "is the software that you are looking for. I wonder why you are so interested in things like that"

The man turned and walked away. Then Gin heard the command, the word that he has been waiting, a word that always excites him, from the earphone in his ear.

"_Kill him."_

Then with his agility, he immediately took his Gun from his jacket, pointing it to the head of the bald man. He then pulled the trigger.

PSYUU! The sound of silencer echoed softly, accompanied by a thud from the bald man's fat body that is now lifeless.

"Keep the change" Gin said with a cold smile, while Vodka takes back the suitcase that was held by the bald man. "Changing the amount to cancel the existing agreement, and it is a fitting gift for you from us."

**~~~~~~Tropical Land~~~~~~**

It took a long time for Conan and Ai to get out of the building, because the hallway is dark and confusing. They agreed not to use a flashlight because Gin and Vodka might see them. They finally manage to go out through the back door.

"Hey, this is not the entrance" Ai said.

"So what? We are still in Tropical Land look. You think we are now in another planet?" Conan said sarcastically.

"Isn't good for me? So I can run away from them" Ai replied with an arrogant tone.

They paused to laugh, and they walked toward the professor and others. But the danger is not yet over.

Ai suddenly felt a chill again. She held the wrist of Conan tightly. Conan was aware of the situation, then looked around, and there he saw: Gin and Vodka walked towards them, they both seem to get out through the front door . Beside him, Ai said nervously, "I Kudo, we have to go to the other direction."

But Conan was silent.

"W- what is it? You know, that's them! Sooner or later he will be aware of us!" Ai whispered, this time there was a bit angry tone in her voice. Meanwhile they have walked towards each other.

Conan just smiled. "Didn't I told you, nothing is to be afraid of as long as I'm here"

He pulled Ai closer, and put her head on his shoulder. Ai suddenly feels comfortable, protected, she forgets about the Organization.

And they're getting closer.

**~~~~~~[Gin 's POV]~~~~~~**

I glanced at the two small children who just passed by. One black-haired and bespectacled, the other girl with her head bowed down; as though they were trying to hide their identity.

Could it be... It is s_he_?

No way... if so I could have smelled it, a smell of a traitor, but I did not feel anything. Although my little heart said "Yes, that's her." But I know, hearts _cannot be trusted; liver can only guess_. I just want certainty.

"What is it, Aniki?" Vodka asked, realizing I was behind him.

"No, no.. nothing" I replied , and went away, but again, I glanced at the small pair .

_Relax, Sherry. Death will come at an unexpected moment._

**~~~~~~[Ai 's POV]~~~~~~**

_I escaped. I cannot believe it. How is this possible?_ But suddenly I realized, why I cannot be recognized by Gin, I fell very pleased, relieved, the same feeling I feel with Oneesan. Kudo once told me when they didn't smell me it the woods at Kiichiro Gunma, that's because I've become a good person. But there are real reasons, reasons that make it strong.

Friends.

Protector.

Companion.

He remembered how Hakase make strange inventions for them, Ayumi who always able to make a joke, Genta who was silly in his every action, Mitsuhiko who always try to please her, Kobayashi-sensei who was always enthusiastic, Sonoko with the air of a princess, the police officers who was always friendly, Heiji who sometimes act so stubborn, the stupid Sleeping Kogoro, Jodie and other FBI members who fought against the Organization, Ran who was friendly to her, and Kudo - I mean Conan, who always protects me...

It is them who made me strong. It is them who make me feel always warm and cheerful, filling the empty space of my heart, who can make me forget the Organization even only for a moment, made me enjoy my life, and also, to protect me from the Organization being my 'shield', and that's why Gin cannot feel my presence, because Conan was protecting me, 'shielding' me from any threats. They're always there, and I hope, they will always accompany me in the rest of my life.

I finally understood.

_You'll never walk alone._

**~~~~~~~3 days later , Professor Agasa's House [Author 's POV]~~~~~~**

"Looks like your favorite club is on top of standings again, Haibara" Conan teases, look at Ai who's wearing a Liverpool T-shirt.

"Of course. Maybe Liverpool will be become champion again, just like Big Osaka" she said with the usual tone. "because there are such beautiful supporters such as _I_"

Actually Ai bought the T-shirt not only because she is a fan, but also to remind herself every time she sees the written word on it, that she is not alone, that there is someone who's always there for her.

Conan shuddered to hear the words of Ai . "You're weird" he said, and ended with shouts of Agasa who was at his workplace. "Shinichi, help me!"

_Bah,_ Conan thought, _Can't he just stop making stupid things?_ "I'll be right there, "Conan cried, leaving his cell phone on the table, but Ai did not realize it because she was engrossed in reading a magazine. Suddenly Conan's phone rang and Ai picked it up, and looks at the screen for the caller. _Ran-neechan._ She knew that it means that call is for 'Conan' and not for 'Shinichi'. Then she answered the call, "Moshi-Moshi, Ran-neechan. "

"Oh, Ai-chan. Is Conan-kun there?" Ran replied from the other side.

"Yes , but he was busy helping Hakase."

"Oh, then tell him that Otuo-san and I will go to see a client in a minute. We'll probably go home kate tonight, so it is better for him to have dinner there."

"Sorry, if you should be bothered making the dinner tonight." Ran said apologetically.

"It's okay. I can manage" Ai replied, a little smile painted on her face.

"Thank you , Ai-chan!" Ran said excitedly, then the phone got disconnected.

Ai wants to return the cellphone on the table when she saw the screen wallpaper, a picture of Satan with sailboats on it on a shield, two curved nameplate at the top and bottom shields, an image of a small ball on the left and right; all predominantly red in color.

_Manchester United._

Ai just smiled, then whispered to himself, "Association of Football Maniac" and returns the phone to the desk.

**END**

Whew.. it's finally done! Now I can continue translating The Bet….


End file.
